July Ministry Theme: Meet the Staff – Sue Green

July 2026

The LCMS Northern Illinois District is blessed to have a dedicated, faithful staff in place to serve the needs of congregations, schools, ministries, pastors, commissioned workers, lay leaders, and the many others members of our District. For the July and August Ministry Theme topics, we wanted to take time to introduce (or re-introduce) them to you!

We hope you find it helpful to learn a bit more about each of them.

If you’ve participated in Shine!, connected with a commissioned minister, called the District office, attended a pastors’ wives gathering, or benefited from one of the many behind-the-scenes ministries of the Northern Illinois District, chances are Sue Green had a hand in making it happen.

As District Services Coordinator, Sue’s role touches many different areas of District life. She assists commissioned ministers, supports Shine!, helps coordinate the Katie Gathering for pastors’ wives and widows, works with the Parish Administrators networking group, prepares District appeals, and serves as one of the welcoming voices answering calls to the District office. Her work is varied, but the common thread is supporting the ministries, workers, and people who make up the Northern Illinois District.

Sue has been serving on District staff since May 2001. Her path to the District office began with a degree in education from Concordia, followed by several years teaching in Lutheran schools. As life circumstances changed, she also gained experience in retail, worked briefly for a limousine company, and served as a Lutheran school secretary. Those experiences ultimately led her to the Northern Illinois District, where she has faithfully served for more than two decades.

What Sue enjoys most about her work is the opportunity to meet and connect with the people of the District. Whether interacting with pastors, educators, commissioned ministers, lay leaders, or congregation members, she continually finds herself encouraged by the faithful people God has placed throughout northern Illinois. She considers it a privilege to support their ministries and witness the many ways God is at work.

Family has always been one of Sue’s greatest blessings. While teaching in Detroit, she met her husband, Dan, whom she describes as the best thing that happened during those years. Dan is an emeritus commissioned minister who served as a teacher and administrator in Lutheran schools in Michigan and throughout the Northern Illinois District. Together they raised two sons, celebrated as they married wonderful wives, and now delight in spending time with their grandson, Connor. Rounding out the family is Paul Bunyan, their rather large dog who faithfully keeps watch over the household.

When asked about favorite Bible passages, Sue finds it difficult to choose just one. Numbers 11:23 reminds her that God’s power and ability far exceed human limitations. Isaiah 55:8-9 offers comfort in knowing that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than our own. And John 16:33 points her back to Christ’s promise of peace and victory even amid life’s challenges. Together, these passages reflect a deep trust in God’s wisdom, strength, and faithfulness.

Sue credits her father, a commissioned minister who taught in Lutheran high schools in the Milwaukee area, with shaping her understanding of church work. While he never directly encouraged her to pursue a church-work vocation, his example taught her the sacrificial nature of ministry and the importance of serving wherever God places you. Through his faithful service, she learned what it means to use one’s gifts for the benefit of others and the glory of God.

For Sue, serving the District is about people. Whether helping a church worker, supporting a ministry event, answering a question, or connecting someone with needed resources, she is grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside the faithful men and women of the Northern Illinois District and to play a small role in the larger work God is accomplishing through His Church.

We are thankful for Sue’s work with the LCMS Northern Illinois District, and we pray for God’s continued blessings on her and her family.